FEC ISSUES SEMI-ANNUAL FEDERAL PAC COUNT

WASHINGTON -- The number of federally registered political action committees (PACs)
increased since July 1, 2000, bringing the total number of registered PACs to 3,907,
according to a semi-annual survey taken January 1, 2001, by the Federal Election
Commission.

PACs sponsored by corporations and labor organizations are technically referred to as
"separate segregated funds" and must register within 10 days of being
established. Non-connected PACs (those which are not connected to or sponsored by a
corporation or labor organization, and which are not related to a candidate's campaign or
to a political party organization) must register within 10 days after certain financial
activity exceeds $1,000 during a calendar year.

Registration does not necessarily imply financial activity. Many PACs report making no
contributions to candidates or independent expenditures on behalf of or against
candidates. Financial information on PACs will be included in future FEC news releases.

The following chart details the number of PACs in existence since the end of 1974.

PAC COUNT- 1974 TO PRESENT

(semi-annual)

January 2001

Date

Committee
Type

Total

Corporate

Labor

Trade/

Membership/

Health

Non-

Connected

Cooperative

Corp.

Without

Stock

12/31/74

89

201

318*

608

11/24/751

139

226

357*

722

05/10/762

294

246

452*

992

12/31/76

433

224

489*

1,146

12/31/77

550

234

438

110

8

20

1,360

12/31/78

785

217

453

162

12

24

1,653

08/00/79

885

226

483

206

13

27

1,840

12/31/79

950

240

514

247

17

32

2,000

07/01/80

1,107

255

544

309

23

41

2,279

12/31/80

1,206

297

576

374

42

56

2,551

07/01/81

1,253

303

579

441

38

64

2,678

12/31/81

1,329

318

614

531

41

68

2,901

07/01/82

1,417

350

627

628

45

82

3,149

12/31/82

1,469

380

649

723

47

103

3,371

07/01/83

1,514

379

664

740

50

114

3,461

12/31/83

1,538

378

643

793

51

122

3,525

07/01/84

1,642

381

662

940

53

125

3,803

12/31/84

1,682

394

698

1,053

52

130

4,009

07/01/85

1,687

393

694

1,039

54

133

4,000

12/31/85

1,710

388

695

1,003

54

142

3,992

07/01/86

1,734

386

707

1,063

56

146

4,092

12/31/86

1,744

384

745

1,077

56

151

07/01/87

1,762

377

795

967

56

152

4,109

12/31/87

1,775

364

865

957

59

145

4,165

07/01/88

1,806

355

766

1,066

60

143

4,196

12/31/88

1,816

354

786

1,115

59

138

4,268

07/01/89

1,802

349

831

1,051

58

143

4,234

12/31/89

1,796

349

777

1,060

59

137

4,178

07/01/90

1,782

346

753

1,115

58

139

4,193

12/31/90

1,795

346

774

1,062

59

136

4,172

07/01/91

1,745

339

749

1,096

57

137

4,123

12/31/91

1,738

338

742

1,083

57

136

4,094

07/01/92

1,731

344

759

1,091

56

144

4,125

12/31/92

1,735

347

770

1,145

56

142

4,195

07/01/93

1,715

338

767

1,011

55

139

4,025

12/31/93

1,789

337

761

1,121

56

146

4,210

07/01/94

1,666

336

777

963

53

138

3,933

12/31/94

1,660

333

792

980

53

136

3,954

07/01/95

1,670

334

804

1,002

43

129

3,982

12/31/95

1,674

334

815

1,020

44

129

4,016

07/01/96

1,645

332

829

1,058

43

126

4,033

12/31/96

1,642

332

838

1,103

41

123

4,079

07/01/973

1,602

332

826

953

41

118

3,8753

12/31/97

1,597

332

825

931

42

117

3,844

07/01/98

1,565

325

820

897

43

112

3,762

12/31/98

1,567

321

821

935

39

115

3,798

07/01/99

1,540

318

826

941

38

115

3,778

01/01/00

1,548

318

844

972

38

115

3,835

07/01/00

1,523

316

812

902

39

114

3,706

01/01/01

1,545

317

860

1,026

41

118

3,907

*For 1974-76, these numbers represent all other PACs...no further
categorization is available.